This Military Has More Tanks Than Other Armies Have Troops

In February 2022, Russia officially invaded Ukraine – and the war has been raging on ever since. However, in the last few months, the situation seems to have flipped. In fact, Ukraine recently invaded Russia’s Kursk region, highlighting an increase in power and support from other global leaders. Tanks are believed to play an important role in Ukraine’s growing force. The British donated a number of Challenger 2 tanks to Ukrainian forces, allowing Ukraine to capture the Russian town of Sudzha. Should more tanks and other equipment be donated to Ukraine, it could spell trouble for Russia – even though Russia, as you’ll see on this list, has the most tanks of any military by far. (Here is what actually led to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.)

Tanks are an armored vehicle that first began being developed during World War II. Initially, tanks were designed to break through enemy lines and join in on special combat situations. Today, tanks have become an integral part of many global militaries, and for good reasons. Tanks can operate in different weather and terrain conditions, offer direct-fire support, and are incredibly sturdy, which means they are great for defense. (These are the 30 most mass-produced tanks since World War II ended.)

To determine which countries across the globe have the most tanks, 24/7 Wall St. analyzed data from Military Strength Ranking from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. We ranked countries by total number of tanks, starting with the least amount first. Additionally, we included information on the overall amount of military vehicles, artillery, and MLRS units, as well as each country’s military strength score. 0.000 would be the perfect military strength score, but this is unachievable. But the closer to 0.0000 a nation’s military strength score is, the more conventionally powerful that country is considered.

Despite the U.S.’s strong advantage around the globe in terms of military power, America did not make first, second, or even third on the list for number of tanks (although it did crack top 5). American military strength relies mainly on its Air Force and Navy, and less on ground forces. However, when the need arises for troops on the ground, the U.S. has the tank power to back them up. Interestingly, North Korea is near the top of the pack, leading the U.S. and many other nations. Yet, it should be noted its arsenal is full of aging tanks, many from the 1950s and 1960s leftover from the Korean War, which may lack some of the firepower and capability of more modern tanks.

Why Are We Writing About Military Tanks?

Libya tanks | A T-55 tank destroyed by NATO forces in the desert north of Ajadabiya, Libya.

The U.S. may not rely on ground tanks as heavily now as it did in the past, but they still play an important role in national defense. Understanding how different militaries around the globe operate helps 24/7 Wall St. readers have insight into the use of military power around the world.